Thursday, July 24, 2008

I finally got word that my surgery is a go for tomorrow at 11 am. If it is possible to die from anxiety, I might just kick the bucket before I make it to the table. I understand that it is "scalpel to skin" at noon. I am so scared that I have truly lost feeling in my feet. Is that normal? LOL!I should be out of the hospital by Monday morning. Kevin has pushed his travel back to Tuesday afternoon. He will be here to get me settled into my room before he takes off. My most cherished girlfriend arrives on Saturday and will hang with me until Thursday evening. I've got six days of recoup time untilI am flying solo with my crew. Better hope I heal fast!I will update when I get home. I may even gross you all out with before and after pictures. Beware.

While her older sister is away, Kaelyn has been taking daily art classes at a pottery studio here in town. She is using various mediums and is really getting to explore fun art forms. This weeks theme is animals, so all of their creations center around that. On Tuesday, we get to collect her weeks worth of work. I can't wait to see all the wonderful pieces she made.Kaelyn is having such a great time. For all you local moms, this is certainly a place to check out!

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Ashlyn was accepted into the Math And Related Science Camp (MARS) by the National Security Agency (NSA) at the University of Maryland. She is in the Bay Rangers program and will learn along side some of our nations brightest young students.We traveled together over the weekend and met up with friends who will also be attending. The girls spent the night together packing their things, talking excitedly about their upcoming adventure, and roasting marshmellows! My little kid is growing up so fast!With two great gal pals by her side, we unpacked her bags in the dorm that she will call "home" for the next two weeks. Then, I left my baby behind for the long trek home. *Snif* We are two days down and all of the girls are having a blast. They have gone swimming, enjoyed meals in a fantastic cafeteria, met new friends, and are studying interesting topics. I know this is such a terrific opportunity, but I really, really miss my little girl.

Kaelyn wanted to demonstrate her architectural abilities but building a fantastic fort in the middle of the living room. Unfortunately, with four little monkeys running under foot, it was an impossible undertaking.The Monkeys:

The builder: The finished product: It may not look like much, but it took great effort and it was thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

AoifeHow do you pronounce that? What kind of nameis that?Okay, for all of you scratching your head at my child's name, here it is. The ultimate explanation:Aoife is traditionally pronounced EE-fahhttp://inogolo.com/audio/Aoife_3736.mp3Unless of course you're a McCarthy, then it's pronounced "Ava."It is Gaelic and it has many meanings, such as:"Beauty" from the Gaelic word aoibh.And:In Irish legend Aoife was a warrior princess. In war against her sister Scathach, she was defeated in single combat by the hero Cuchulainn. Eventually she was reconciled with her sister and became the lover of Cuchulainn.And:Gaelic form of the name Eve. Aoife was a daughter of King Dermot of Leinster who married the Norman invader Strongbow.And:It is the name of the jealous stepmother in the Irish myth, Children of Lir. And:The LÉ Aoife (P22) is a Republic of Ireland naval vessel.And one of my favorites:The acronym for the Association of Institutions for Feminist Education.As her parents, we chose her name in celebration of our Irish heritage. Like her name, Aoife is as unique of an individual as one of three can be.

Although impromptu, we tried to get all of the triplets in one group shot. These pictures were the best of many, many attempts.Here, Kaeleb is picking his teeth and Kaedence appears to have just said "Duh." Kaedence makes a silly face and Aoife disappears, pulling Kaeleb down with her. Aoife gets the right idea, but then Kaeleb blinks and Kaedence picks a winner. Aoife wants to disappear again, and "short attention span theater" checks out the commotion. Kaeleb takes a moment to scratch an itch and Kaedence, yet again, makes a silly face. And away the camera goes, with yet another unsuccessful photo shoot under our belt.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Our neighborhood lake is home to a peculiar family of Canadian Geese. In mid- spring, four goslings made their first appearance. With their arrival, a new "common goose" has come into the picture. This newcomer found herself accepted by this growing family and has taken her role as caretaker very seriously. She never leaves the goslings alone and is often found chasing people away from her new flock, if they dare get too close. Abbi has decided that this is "Mother Goose" herself. I am starting to think that she may just be right.

We are taking a different approach to warding off the poop drawings. I bought an aquadoodle mat and pens for Aoife. She is really getting a kick out of it. She and Abbi spent over an hour the other night drawing at the kitchen table. Maybe if she has another outlet for all that pent up creativity, we can keep the poop in the diaper and off of my walls.

Sporting sassy gardening tools and fancy green ladybug gloves, Abbi set to work on her new garden. She dug the holes, removed the pots, and planted her beautiful flowers "all by my own"! Turns out the Killer Tomato has a green thumb. Who knew!

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Last night, I dreamt that I was pregnant again. I forgot how tremendous that feeling is, the warmth that a life within brings. The happiness that consumed my dreams is haunting me in the daylight.

I have been so hyper focused on the cancer aspect that I lost sight of what I am giving up. I fully understand the surgery that I am about to endure. I don't even want more children today, right now. Until my triplets, I didn't think I would ever say that honestly. Yet I am so different today, then I was 10 years ago. How do I know who I will be 10 years from now?

Once this is done, that door is closed. It becomes finite. No uterus equals no babies. Ever again. I am confident that this heartache stems from the scars of infertility. I know in my head this surgery makes sense. My heart, on the other hand, is having difficulty catching up.

Thursday, July 10, 2008

Aoife has a nasty habit of using the contents of her diaper to draw on my walls. Truth be told, this behavior makes her very, very unappealing. After speaking with our doctor about this disgusting art form, she encouraged us to use duct tape on her diapers. (Unfortunately, that didn't work either as my Poop Picasso has will beyond my wit!) I turned my back for only a moment, and she snatched that roll of tape off the counter. How creative is this bugger? How can someone so cute cause so much trouble? So much for that roll of tape.

Well, actually an old toy that has been rediscovered. I bought this toy when Kaelyn was two, so it's been around for quite a while. Kaelyn loved it, as did Abbi. In hopes that they were old enough to find joy in it, I pulled it out of the toy room for the triplets to explore.Kaedence didn't play, so much as hoard. She picked two of the building flowers and held them close while she watched the other two play.Aoife was really good at creating chains.Kaeleb discovered that his behind fits nicely into the box, so he spent most of his time playing from his special seat! LOL! Can you believe that this kept them busy for over an hour???? Why, oh why, didn't I pull this out sooner?? It has been put back into the toy closet to be used as my secret weapon for those days when I have just had my fill. Buying myself a little quiet time while all those monkeys are entertained sounds like paradise in a little plastic box.

Sunday, July 6, 2008

Thursday, July 3, 2008

There was a mass found in my uterus and ovary during a CAT scan of my kidneys a few days back and today I went to the OBGYN to have it looked at. I have been scheduled for a hysterectomy on the 25th of July. My uterus, fallopian tubes, and my right ovary will be removed. My left ovary will remain intact to help maintain hormonal balance. I should have more answers about this concern after all is removed and examined.And the upside??? I AM GETTING A MINI TUMMY TUCK!!! WAHOO!!! Every cloud has a sliver lining.

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

As indicated in my previous posts, I have been on the lookout for the perfect playground. With six children and only one adult, containment is a concern. I needed some place with varied equipment which would challenge my two year olds, as well as, my pre-teen.After an exhaustive search, I have found our playground paradise! How fabulous is this??? It's fully enclosed by a white fence and there is an older kids structure and one for toddlers! Plus, there is an ice cream shack and tables right there!!! I am so excited. I can get these cooped up monkeys out of my house and let them get their wiggles out safely.

I have returned from my San Diego get-a-way and am back to my regular life of diapers, drama, and monkey disasters. But what a fun time I had!! A year has passed since I hung with other triplet moms. I had missed them so. To my very good fortune, I was able to spend time with two of my most treasured triplet mommies during my trip.This is Amy, Jonna, and I enjoying a glass of wine after an early evening of wine tasting.It's nice to be home but I sure do miss my friends. It's hard to live in po-dunk nowhere without the support of those who love you. *snif*